


My Favourite Thing

by rangifertarandus



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2018-01-14 23:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1283407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rangifertarandus/pseuds/rangifertarandus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"<i>Louis has been to many places in the world, he's gone through customs at the US Border so many times he can't even count, he's been to places whose names he can't really pronounce and actually struggles to remember.</i><br/><i>But if he could choose one place, if he could choose his favourite, the one he wouldn't mind to live in forever, well, he thinks he really wouldn't want to be anywhere else than where he's now.</i> "</p><p>Or the time Harry took Louis on a date</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Favourite Thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [usedtothebeach](https://archiveofourown.org/users/usedtothebeach/gifts).



> This is for [Emma](http://usedtothebeach.tumblr.com)  
> To cheer her up  
> To remind her she's a lovely person and an amazing author  
> To cheer on her for the ending chapter of her fic  
> Also to remind her of that time we fantasised about Harry&Louis going on a date in Milan following my great advice. :)
> 
> I got home from a night out and wrote this all in one shot, I hope I wrote in English and not in an invented language. Definitely point out any mistake please

Louis has been to many places in the world, he's gone through customs at the US Border so many times he can't even count, he's been to places whose names he can't really pronounce and actually struggles to remember.

But if he could choose one place, if he could choose his favourite, the one he wouldn't mind to live in forever, well, he thinks he really wouldn't want to be anywhere else than where he's now.

•

He should have known when Harry had dragged him out the back entrance of the Principe di Savoia and straight to a Uber taxi that his boy had something in mind. He should have seen it from the way he rattled the directions to the driver, so sure and almost practiced. He should have figured it out as soon as they had gotten to a crowded but cozy restaurant and had been seated in a side room, empty but for another couple who was talking and giggling and paid no attention at all to them, that his boy would have surprised him.

It's amazing how, even after more than three years, it's so easy for Harry to surprise him. And of course Louis would act unimpressed at first, but at some point a small fond smile would appear, briefly, and Harry would just know. And Louis loves this, loves how this boy can figure him out even when he tries not to be obvious, even when he feels too proud to show how important Harry is for him.

Harry had chatted with the waitress, a tiny woman who smiled knowingly when she saw their hands entwined on the table, and asked her what she would recommend. Risotto, she had said, risotto to share and then their famous 'cotoletta'. And Harry had nodded and said okay, while Louis' eyebrows had shot up because, what even was a 'cotoletta'?

She returned a while later with a bottle of white wine, saying it was complimentary for the occasion and told them to just call her if they needed.

Louis wanted to know what was up, he thought he was missing something, like, some anniversary of something unimportant like, their first time painting a room in their home (impossible, that happened in October) or their first beer shared together (definitely not since that happened in July, more than three years before, not that Louis was keeping track of course).

"What is this all for?" Louis finally found the courage to ask after they had finished their yellow and incredibly yummy risotto. Harry smiled bright (shut up, Louis didn't find it irresistibly cute, nope).

"Just, for us?" he said and Louis gave up trying to restrain himself and leaned across the table kissing his boy square on the mouth.

Then came the 'cotoletta' and Harry's eyes went wide and bright and Louis wanted to take a picture and keep it forever. And well, it turned out this famous 'cotoletta' was clearly the food of the gods. If Louis hadn't thought he was in heaven before he definitely was then. The cotoletta was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and wonderfully tasty. Needless to say it hadn't taken long before both Harry's and Louis' plates were empty and their bellies full.

Harry had asked for the bill, leaving Louis wondering about dessert, and had paid it before Louis could even have a glance at the numbers on it. They had said their goodbyes to the tiny waitress and she had got them to promise to come back.

They were then out of the restaurant and while Harry seemed to be completely immersed in what was going on on his phone screen Louis tried to decipher the name of the place (Damm-atrà?seriously, Italian was a weird language) to try and remember it later. He would probably forget, he knew, but he also knew that Harry wouldn’t and Louis wouldn’t really want to go back to that place with anyone else anyway.

"Want to take a walk with me?" Harry suddenly said, looking straight at Louis and pocketing his phone. Louis grinned.

"Of course" he had replied, before Harry could drag him along the pavement.

Louis could hear water flowing and frowned in confusion because, was there even a river in Milan?

They got on what looked like a main street and Louis could see some kind of canal right in front of them. He didn't ask about it as they walked silently along the water, knowing that probably Harry had one of his stories about it to tell. It clearly wasn’t the right time yet.

Louis looked briefly down at their hands, linked together, his so small it almost got lost in his boy’s bigger one. They were probably being a bit reckless, holding hands and walking close to each other like that. But it was a Tuesday and the streets looked deserted. Louis shrugged. He really didn’t care right then.

They were mostly silent, sharing the occasional comment about the food they previously shared or their waitress or random memories. It was comfortable and familiar and Louis couldn't help but tighten his grip on his boy's hand.

Suddenly Harry tugged him in a side road, pulling him closer as they crossed the street and placing his arm around his shoulders. They had practically melted into each other before they found themselves in front of what Louis really hoped was their destination.

The sign read 'Gelateria della Musica' and a quick glance inside had Louis' mouth watering. Harry grinned at him knowingly, the dimple popping, and Louis poked it with his index finger (the one that wasn’t trapped in Harry’s grip), just because he could, before kissing the boy's cheek.

"I almost thought you wouldn't let me have dessert" Louis said. Harry giggled.

"I'd never do that" he said, pushing the door and ushering Louis in.

They had gotten a medium sized cone with two scoops each, banana and dark chocolate for Harry, pistachio and liquorice for Louis, and Harry had dragged him back to the main street and to the canal.

•

And here he is then, sitting on this tiny bridge, overlooking the canal, watching straight towards the city centre, staring at the lights glittering in the cool air.

"The person who suggested me to come here jumped from one of these bridges in this canal once" Harry says, licking around his ice-cream. Louis stares for a bit too long before blinking.

"Really?is it even allowed to swim in there?" He asks.

Harry grins. Here we go with the Harry story. Louis will never admit how much he loves listening to his boy ramble about anything.

“This canal is called ‘Naviglio’ and, like, it used to go straight up to the Duomo? so, erm, basically, Milan used to be on way more water than it is now? There were like five of these canals, but then, like, in the 1930s I think, they got covered and uh now there’s only like, two?” He paused, biting his cone. Louis hummed in response and took a bite of his own cone as well.

“And well now I think this is the only one that is navigable but it’s a bit shit? Like, it’s supposedly polluted so this person said she was a bit greasy when she got out of the water?” Harry finally says. And oh, so this “person” is a she?

“She?” Louis says, he can't resist, before regretting it and biting his tongue. And well, like, it’s not like he's jealous of everyone, but he already has to share his boy with the whole world, he doesn’t really want to know about the girls Harry will be surely linked with.

“Is this all you got from my story?” Harry says with a raised eyebrow. Louis smiles and shakes his head.

“No I was just curious that’s all” He says, kissing Harry’s cheek, hoping that the boy will read it like an apology.

He luckily does, because his expression softens and a dimple appears again.

“It’s just a girl I met at the hotel bar the other night, she actually made your tea. Remember your were surprised they had Yorkshire tea in Milan?” he asks, Louis hums, finishing his cone and snaking his arms around Harry’s torso.

“Well it was late so I didn’t tell you but it was hers? Like she got it from her own purse? I mean she’s a tea snob worse than you are and she brings her own tea-bags with her wherever she goes, it’s pretty impressive” He says, Louis slaps his chest jokingly.

“Shut up ‘m not a tea snob” he mumbles. Harry snorts but pulls Louis closer.

“Sure babe...well anyway I asked her if she was from here and she said yes so I asked her for recommendations and here we are?” he says finally, running his fingers through Louis’ hair.

He grins.

“I should probably go steal some more Yorkshire later and thank her for tonight then” Louis says right as Harry kisses his head. Louis can feel his boy’s smile against his temple. He sighs.

“I’m glad we’re here Haz” Louis finally says. Harry kisses his temple and rummages in his pocket.

Louis straightens up, escaping the boy’s grip and regretting it as soon as he loses the warmth. But Harry has gotten a small box out of his pocket and Louis’ eyes widen as his head snaps up to look at his boy’s face.

“What’s that Styles?” he asks. Harry snorts again, shaking his head. Louis thinks he can hear him mumble “so impatient” while he carefully opens the box.

Louis gasps as he sees what looks like a tiny silver plaque, attached to a chain. He looks up at Harry, silently asking for permission to touch and his boy smiles and nods. Of course nods.

Louis picks it up, letting it dangle in front of his face, he examines it and sees there’s something carved on it: tiny lines all next to each other, it looks like... a sound-wave? He flattens it on his open palm, looking up at his boy again. Harry smiles, smugly, he takes the plaque which looks even tinier in his hand, and points at the lines.

“I know you probably won’t be able to wear it and I know that we already have our rings and our promises yeah?” he says, and Louis smiles because of course he knows. He's never going to let this boy go. He has a ring to prove it.

Harry puts the chain around Louis’ neck, then carries on: “But this is for when you’re alone, or well, whenever you miss me I guess? This is, like, this, if you wanted to scan this and have it played it would be in my voice?” He says, Louis’ eyes widen in surprise, before a bright smile appears on his face.

“And what would I hear, my dear Harold?” Louis asks, holding the plaque between his thumb and forefinger, tracing the short lines with his fingertip.

Harry grins, pulling Louis until he's in his lap, he goes willingly and locks his arms around Harry’s neck, he grins and looks down at his boy. His boy who’s still surprising him every moment. His boy who he loves so much it hurts.

“that I’m in love with you” Harry whispers, before capturing Louis’ lips with his.

And Louis is dazed, he feels like he’s in a dream and he can’t believe he gets to have this boy all for himself. He can’t quite believe Harry loves him so much and he can’t understand how he loves this boy more and more everyday. He doesn’t know how it’s possible, he didn’t even know he could feel that much love before meeting Harry. And sometimes he wonders if he was someone extremely good in his past life to deserve all of this, the fame, the money, the screaming fans, his dream job, and, and the best of it all, the best part of all this, his favourite thing, the thing he’d never give up, his boy.

**Author's Note:**

> Right, I'm sorry this is very short also I'm not even sure it's any good but yeah, whatever, hope you didn't hate it  
> You can find me on [tumblr](iam-possiblyinsane.tumblr.com) too btw!
> 
> Also these are actual places in Milan, if you ever wanted to re-enact their date I can definitely give you addresses :)


End file.
